Happily Ever After
by divine energy
Summary: The day you start believing it will happen is the day it doesn't. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.

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Cherry moved the comb slowly through her red hair, staring in the mirror. There were people bustling around behind her, fussing and hurrying all around her. But for her, it was like time had stood still for a minute and there was nothing but her and her reflection.

Right now, there was nothing more important to her than looking in that mirror and recognize herself, know who the person staring back at her was.

She heard hushed whispers and the door shut, leaving her alone with her mother and Marcia.

"You alright?" her mother said gently, placing both hands on her daughter's shoulders and looking at her daughter through the mirror.

Cherry nodded, swallowing a large lump in her throat.

"You look beautiful," her mother said with a soft smile, stroking a strand of Cherry's red hair.

Cherry put down the comb and her mother took it up. "You're my mother," Cherry said with a weak smile. "You're obliged to tell me that."

"I'm not," Marcia chirped. "And you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Marcia," Cherry smiled to herself, ignoring her shaking hands.

"Are you nervous?" her mother asked, pulling Cherry's hair back into a swirly bun at the back of her head, which made her hold her neck up straighter. Cherry didn't answer.

"He is too," Marcia said after a minute. "If it helps." Cherry nodded.

"No it doesn't," her mother snapped to Marcia, making Cherry jump. Marcia only scowled defiantly at Cherry's mother, not looking at all apologetic for her remark.

Rolling her eyes, Cherry stood up and checked herself in the mirror once more. The stiff white dress was tight, and it made it hard to breathe – and she was having enough trouble with it anyway. Marcia outstretched her hand and smoothed out a crease, then stood back and looked at Cherry in awe. Cherry was shivering.

"You ready?" she said, an exhilarated grin on her face.

"Am I?" Cherry replied, her eyes wide as she looked at Marcia pleadingly. The grin faltered from Marcia's face.

"I thought so," she muttered. "Are you alright? You're awful pale."

"I'll fix that," Cherry's mother announced and pinched both of Cherry's cheeks until they glowed red. "There now," she smiled, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "Now she looks a bride."

Cherry almost choked at the word, but said nothing – she didn't think she could anyway. She just took a deep breath and looked at Marcia, looking for some sort of support.

"You can do this." Marcia didn't let her down. "This is what you've always wanted to do." Her voice sort of died away at the end, like she was about to fade away and leave Cherry standing there alone. She didn't, and Cherry whipped around, terrified the two of them would sink into the floor.

"Don't leave," she pleaded.

"We won't," Marcia smiled patiently, her eyes scanning Cherry's terrified expression. "Come on," she said, giving Cherry's hand a little squeeze. "You know everything's going to be fine. And when the man says 'Sherri', he's talking to you," he added with a wink, making Cherry laugh weakly.

"You ready?" her mother echoed Marcia's words, but Cherry looked at Marcia.

"You're ready," she said confidently, her eyes sparkling.

She nodded and prepared herself. She barely remembered catching hold of her father's arm and having him dote upon her like she was five years old again. She could tell he was trying to brave – it comforted her to know that there was someone there as terrified as she was.

She could only barely hear the music, and all the faces staring back at her were a blur, save one. He stared at her, a breathless smile on his lips, and her fears melted away. She'd always felt this way when she looked at him, since the first time she'd laid eyes on him.

Her heart pounded, but in a different way than she'd expected, and she smiled. Her father kissed her cheek and sat down, puffing his chest out and sticking his bottom lip out like he was trying to stop himself crying.

"Dear friends and family," the voice floated in one ear and out the other, like static from an old record player, but Cherry still hear the words. She hoped she understood them like she thought she did. "We are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Sherri Valence and Robert Sheldon in marriage. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife.

"To all present I say: We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Sherri and Robert the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives."

Cherry could feel all eyes on her, and the blush creeping back up her throat. She couldn't say she was scared now, but she was intimidated. The words became a blur, and the blur became less than a memory.

"And Sherri, do you . . ."

She could have said it, with him looking at her. Just those two simple words and it'd be done. A ring on her finger, and a euphoria blossoming through her though. The words were on the tip of her tongue. And she stopped – only for a second – but when she did, the rest did. It was slowly crawling backwards, away from her, no matter how hard she tried to scramble it back to her, her fingertips clawing onto the cracking picture. It reversed, slowly, so that it tortured her to tears – all the way until she was back in that dressing room, staring at the mirror, breathing hard. Right now, there was nothing more important to her than looking in that mirror and recognize herself, know who the person staring back at her was.

The picture behind her faded away. The white dress vanished and the makeup was wiped from her face. She was left with nothing but a pale face, and hushed whispers behind her. The door shut, leaving her alone with Marcia.

"Cherry . . ." she started slowly.

"Go," Cherry croaked harshly, staring at the girl in the mirror. Who was she? Marcia obliged reluctantly and silently and Cherry was left in the silence, staring back at the girl with puffy red eyes and a drained face, wondering to herself if she knew who the girl was.

Her bedroom was cold, and she sat rigidly at her vanity table, her hand clutched around one of her bottles of perfume.

With a frustrated cry, she reached out and swept her arm across the vanity table. The bottles of perfume and sprays hit the floor and shattered, the liquid seeping into her carpets. But she didn't care.

She threw her arms down on the desk and sobbed – for all she'd lost, and what she'd lost it for. This fury, this livid outrage was uncontrollable. Cherry had never felt a more real emotion in her entire lifetime.

She'd told him – _she'd warned him. _"You're gonna get into trouble one day," she'd said.

"I won't," he'd replied, with a comfortable, confident grin and a little snigger.

The day you start believing it won't happen to you is the day it does.

She'd never get to see Bob again. She'd never again feel him hold her hand of put his arm around her, and whisper he loved her so no one else could hear. She'd never get the wedding she'd wanted with him – she'd never put his last name at the end of hers. They'd talked about it sure, but now it didn't matter. Every single talk they'd ever had meant nothing to anyone – except her. That was all she had left of him. He was only living in her precious memory now. She'd never get her Happily Ever After. The day you start believing it will happen is the day it doesn't.

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Short, I know. Reviews welcome.


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